Myeloperoxidase Activities in Polymorphonuclear Leukocytes in Lumbar Disc Disease

Objectives: The exact pathogenesis of lumbar pain and radiculopathy is often poorly understood. Although nerve root entrapment resulting in mechanical pressure has been the most widely held concept to explain radiculopathy and lumbar pain, much of the recent research work increasingly supports an inflammatory reaction occurring in the lumbar intervertebral disc tissue. In this study, we aimed to show the role of Myeloperoxidase as an inflammatory marker and the correlation of inflammation with lumbar radiculopathy.Methods: We evaluated 15 patients and 15 healthy controls of a similar age and sex distribution. Myeloperoxidase activities in polymorphonuclear leukocytes were measured spectrophotometrically by the method of O-dianisidine.Results: The mean Myeloperoxidase level was 440 U/mg protein in the patient group and 142 U/mg protein in the control group. The Myeloperoxidase levels of patients in the lumbar radiculopathy group were significantly higher than in the control group (p < 0.001).Conclusion: In this preliminary study, we had found increased Myeloperoxidase level in the lumbar disc patients with radiculopathy. The significantly high level of Myeloperoxidase might indicate a systemic inflammatory response to impingement of the nerve root caused by lumbar disc herniation. This led us to think that Myeloperoxidase might play a role in the activity status of the disease.